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<b>The Lone Ship Of The Freedom Flotilla:</b> <b>The Rachel Corrie MV
Continues To Sail Towards Gaza In Defiance Of Israeli Threats<br><br>
By Michel Chossudovsky<br><br>
</b>01 June, 2010<br>
<b>
<a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=19481">
Global Research</a><br>
<a href="http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=19481" eudora="autourl">
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=19481<br><br>
</a></b>Following Israel's criminal raid in international waters on May
31st, the Rachel Corrie MV continues to sail towards the Gaza coastline
in defiance of Israeli threats.<br><br>
In an act of tremendous courage, the Rachel Corrie MV is determined to
break the Israeli blockade of Gaza.<br><br>
At noon today, I received the following message from Christopher Chang
and Ram Kardigasu, on behalf of the Malaysian and Irish peace activists,
who are on board the Rachel Corrie:<br><br>
RACHEL CORRIE: MV Rachel Corrie is now the sole ship on the international
freedom flotilla moving towards Gaza.<br><br>
The Malaysian and Irish peace and humanitarian activists aboard share
their deepest grief and sense of loss with the loved ones of those killed
and injured in the illegal action undertaken by Israel on Monday 31st May
2010 in the international waters of the Mediterranean.<br><br>
In the names of our friends, we are more determined than ever to continue
into Gaza with our humanitarian cargo and our support for the blockaded
and suffering people of Gaza.<br><br>
We expect Israel to respond to the international condemnation of its
violence by not impeding by any means the safe passage of the Rachel
Corrie.<br><br>
We appeal to the international community and United Nations to continue
to demand Israel our safe passage into Gaza.<br><br>
Jointly issued by Malaysians and Irish on board the Rachel Corrie.
<br><br>
Sent on behalf of the humanitarian activists on aboard the Rachel Corrie
- by PGPO land team (Ram Karthigasu and Christopher Chang)<br><br>
In recent developments, the Netanyahu government is in crisis:<br><br>
"Senior ministers [of the Netanyahu cabinet] have been sharply
critical of the fact that the decision to seize control of the flotilla
to Gaza was made after two meetings of the forum of seven senior
ministers but without official deliberation by the inner cabinet, the
body that has the authority to approve military actions of this
scale." What this suggests is that the actual decision to conduct
the raids in international waters bypassed the Cabinet. (Haaretz.com
headlines RSS)<br><br>
The question remains: if the Israeli cabinet did not ratify the
operation, who ordered the raids and through what procedure? <br><br>
What were the respective roles of Israeli intelligence and the IDF in
planning these raids?<br><br>
What role was played by Rahm Emmanuel, Obama's White House Chief of
Staff, who had meetings with both Netanyahu and president Shimon Peres,
respectively on May 26 and 27?<br><br>
Did Rahm Emmanuel meet officials of Israel's military and intelligence
establishment?<br><br>
Did the Obama administration give the Green Light?<br><br>
It is important that this news gets out, with a view to ensuring that the
Rachel Corrie MV safely reaches the coast of Gaza without encroachment,
with a view to breaking Israel's criminal embargo. <br><br>
In this endeavor we shall prevail. Our hearts and minds are with those
who continue to sail on board the Rachel Corrie MV. <br><br>
It should be noted that Israel has not in any way modified its policy
with regard to the Rachel Corrie MV: There are two more ships heading for
Gaza including the Rachel Corrie MV. Israel has promised "to respond
even more harshly":<br><br>
“Israel will use more aggressive force in the future to prevent ships
from breaking the sea blockade on the Gaza Strip, a top Navy commander
told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.<br><br>
“We boarded the ship and were attacked as if it was a war,” the officer
said. “That will mean that we will have to come prepared in the future as
if it was a war.”
(<a href="http://www.ynetnews.com"><b>www.ynetnews.com</a></b>)<br><br>
The Rachel Corrie MV is in part supported by the Perdana Global Peace
Organization under the helm of Malaysia's former Prime Minister Dr.
Mahathir Mohamad. <br><br>
Global Research Director Michel Chossudovsky is a member of the Perdana
Global Peace Organisation and of the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission.
<br><br>
<br><br>
<b>
<a href="http://aliabunimah.posterous.com/list-of-passengers-aboard-mv-rachel-corrie-en">
List of passengers aboard MV Rachel Corrie en route to Gaza </a><br><br>
<br>
</b>Following is the list of passengers aboard MV Rachel Corrie. It
includes 2 Irish and 9 Malaysians. Received via Belfast IPSC. <br><br>
LIST OF PASSENGERS ABOARD MV RACHEL CORRIE STILL EN ROUTE TO GAZA
<br><br>
*Mairead Maguire 66 Belfast, Ireland<br><br>
Mairead Maguire is a Nobel Peace Laureate (l976) and Co-founder of Peace
People, Northern Ireland. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her
work for peace and a nonviolent solution to the Ethnic/political conflict
in Northern Ireland. Mairead has travelled many times to the occupied
territories of Palestine to support the nonviolent peoples’ movement for
Human Rights, International Law,and Self Determination of the Palestinian
people. Maguire was shot with a plastic bullet whilst participating with
Palestinians/Israelis/Internationals in a peaceful protest March to the
Wall in Bilin, in April, 2007. Mairead went on the maiden Voyage of
Dignity in October, 2008, the second successful voyage for the Free Gaza
Movement. She was also on Board ‘Spirit’ when Israel hijacked the Boat in
International Waters, taking all 2l humanitarian passengers to Israel,
where they were arrested, detained for a week in an Israeli prison and
then deported.<br><br>
*Denis Halliday, Manhattan, NYC and Connemara, Ireland. <br><br>
Denis Halliday was UN Assistant Secretary-General from 1994-98. Appointed
by SG Boutros Ghali, he served as ASG UN Human Resources Management in
New York and in mid 1997 to end 1998 as Head, Humanitarian Programme in
Iraq to support the Iraqi people struggling under the genocidal impact of
UN Sanctions. <br><br>
Prior to that, as a development manager, Halliday served UNDP from
1964-94 in Iran, New York Hqts, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia,
Samoa, New York again and finally as head of the UNDP Regional Office in
Thailand. <br><br>
Since resigning from the UN in 1998, Halliday has delivered numerous
parliamentary briefings, provided extensive media inputs and has given
public/university lectures on Iraq, human rights, and the UN, in
particular its reform. He was a visiting professor at Swarthmore College
in Pennsylvania and teaches/speaks inter alia at universities in Ireland,
Canada, UK and USA. Halliday is a graduate of TCD, has an honorary Phd,
was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the UK Gandhi
Peace Prize. <br>
MALAYSIAN<br><br>
*Matthias Chang Wen Chieh 60, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia . Matthias Chang is
a Malaysian of Chinese descent. He is a Barrister of 32 years standing
and once served as the Political Secretary to the Fourth Prime Minister
of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. <br><br>
He is the author of three bestsellers, “Future FastForward”, “Brainwashed
for War, Programmed to Kill”, and “The Shadow Money-Lenders and the
Global Financial Tsunami”, published in the US and in Malaysia. Since his
student days in England in the late 1960s, he was and still is, actively
involved in the anti-war movement spanning a period of 41 years. He is a
Catholic but enjoins all to promote inter-faith understanding.<br><br>
*MP Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria is a Member of the Malaysian Parliament.<br>
*Shamsul Akmar bin Musa Kamal 46 , Selangor, Malaysia<br>
*Mr. Shamsul Akmar bin Musa Kamal is a journalist for over two decades,
Columnist for The New Straits Times and The Star newspapers and is
currently the Special Officer to Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the Fourth
Prime Minister of Malaysia. He holds a Masters Degree in War Studies from
King's College, University of London.<br><br>
*Mohd Nizar bin Zakaria 41 , Perak, Malaysia<br>
*Abdul Halim Bin Mohamed 29 , Selangor, Malaysia<br>
*Abdul Halim is a broadcast journalist for news and current affairs
Malaysia TV3<br>
*Mohd Jufri Bin Mohd Judin 33, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<br>
*Mohd Jufri is a cameraman for news and current affairs Malaysia
TV3.<br><br>
<br><br>
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